Garment-press.



W. E. ANDREE. GARMENT PRESS.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 19, 1916.

Patented 35111.2,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w. E. ANDREE. GARMENT PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE19. I916.

1211,39 V Patented Jan. 2,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WILLIAM E. ANDREE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GARMENT-PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 19, 1916. Serial No. 104,435.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. Annnr'm, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to garment presses employing cooperating relatively movable pressing members or bucks between which the garment is pressed.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved garment press of this kind provided with means for projecting or discharging a supply of steam across the space between the bucks and parallel with the buck face, and more particularly outside of the press cloth or padding attached to the bucks, for the purpose of moistening the garment or, after the pressing operation is completed, for raising its nap.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a simple and efiicient construction for this'purpose which enables the press cloth to be readily secured to or removed from the buck without disturbing the connections to the steam supply; which is under the immediate control of the operator at all times; and which enables him to discharge steam upon the garment at any time during the pressing operation.

Furthermore objects of the invention are in part'obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings which represent two different forms of the invention Figure 1 is an end elevation of the upper portion of the machine; Fig. 2' is a plan view of the upper buck; Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 4 is a cross section of the line 4-4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an end elevation partly broken out and in section; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, corresponding to Fig. 4, and showing a modified 'form of the invention; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the buck shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a detail section on the line 8-8, Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the garment press shown, as to most of its operating parts, is of the same form and arrangement shown in my prior application for garment press, filed March 22, 1916, Serial No. 85,908, to which reference may be had for a complete understanding of the mechanism. Briefly stated the machine includes a suitable frame 1 having a support 2 for the steam heated lower pressing member or buck 3. On an upright hollow column of said frame is pivotally mounted the supporting lever 4 for the upper pressing member or buck 5, said lever being provided with a counter-weight for said buck (not shown), and being normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the tension spring 6, but being capable of oscillation about its pivot to force the upper buck into pressing relation with the lower buckinthe usual manner, by operation ofthe toggle mechanism 7,

as will be readily understood. Since the bucks are also suitably heated, preferably by steam, and for this purpose their inner chambers are connected'to a suitable source of steam, the steam supply. to the upper buck being through the pipe 9.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to project or discharge a supply of steam across the face of one of the bucks, preferably the upper buck, and outside of the press cloth attached to said buck. This steam supply more immediately comes from a source, such as a conduit or pipe, located at the edge of the buck and arranged to discharge a cloud or stream of steam parallel with the plane of the buck.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the edges of the padding or press cloth 8 are drawn up around the periphery of the buck, and may be attached thereto in any suitable manner; 'As illustrated, the edges of the press cloth are caught over a series of outwardly extending pins 10, and are held on said pins by a sheath or guard 11,which may for example be a metal strip bent to conform to the periphery of the buck and drawn around the sameby a clamp screw 12. The depending flange 13 of said guard Patented J an. 2, 1917. I

lies in a shallow groove or channel 14 of the buck and is slotted at intervals, as at 14, to receive the ends of the pins 10. Opposite the edge of the buck and spaced slightly therefrom, is a pipe or conduit 15, whose ends may be suitably-attached to the buck, as by the screws 16. This pipe communicates through a pipe 17 with the hollow chamber 18 of the buck, said pipe being provided with a suitable form of quick opening valve 19 actuated by a handle 20. The pipe is also provided with a series of closely spaced small openings or the longitudinally extending slot 21 shown, which is in the lower portion of the pipe on the side thereof nearest to the buck, and through which a supply of steam may be projected across the buck face. To further guide or direct said steam and prevent its free escape around the 20 edges of the lower buck, the pipe 15 may also be provided with an inwardly extending shield 22, located just below the opening or slot 21, and which may be for example a metal strip welded or brazed to said pipe. In this construction the pipe 15 is located fairly close to the edge of the buck, so that it is usually heated suficiently to prevent condensation of the steam therein. The space between the pipe and the edge of the buck enables the press cloth to be drawn around the edge of the buck without dis.- turbing said pipe. I

In operating the machine the garment is laid upon the lower buck and the upper buck is moved down by operation of the toggle mechanism in the usual manner. .forethe press cloth of the upper buck engages the garment the valve 19 is opened to admit steam'to the pipe 15, from which it is discharged through the openings or slot 21 along the plane of the upper buck across the ress cloth or padding upon its surface. Su cient steam is discharged to thoroughly moisten the garment. The lever mechanism is then operated further to force the upper buck into close pressing relation with the lower buck for the pressing operation and is then raised, further steam being then projected across the face of the buck upon the garment to raise its nap.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, the outer edge of the buck is ungrooved, presenting a straight outwardly facing surface 25. The press cloth or padding 8 is drawn up around the surface and is held in place by flexible bands or straps 26 provided at their ends with hooks 27 hooked into the edge of the press cloth. The steam supplyconduit has a hollow cas ing 28 curved to fit the peripher of the buck and extending substantially rom end to end along its front edge. The inner face of said conduit closely fits the periphery of the buck so that it is heated thereby to prevent condensation of the steam in the'conthe hinged joints to the position shown in J ust be duit. The inner chamber 29 of said conduit opens through a narrow slot or mouth 30 inwardly toward the center of the buck just below its lower face, so that any steam admitted to the conduit is discharged across the face of the buck along its plane. To admit steam to said conduit it is connected to a pipe 31 communicating with the hollow chamber 32 of the buck, said pipe being provided with a quick, opening valve 33 of the same form as the valve 19 Fig. 3. Said pipe is also provided with two branches 34 opening at different points into the conduit 28, said branches being provided with suitable knuckles or hinged joints, of any desired form, whose axes are in alinement.

. One suitable form of joint for this purpose is shown in Fig. 8 and requires no detail description. This construction enables the conduit 28 to be swung back on the axis of 35 dotted lines Fig. 6, enabling the press cloth to be attached to or removed from the buck.

Both forms of the invention described are simple, readily operated and not .only can be embodied in new constructions, but also are capable of attachment to garment presses already built.

What I claim is 1. In a garment press, upper and lower relatively movable pressing bucks, each comprising a body and press cloth secured thereto, and means for discharging a supply of steam across the face of one of said bucks outside of the press cloth thereon.

2. In a garment press, upper and lower relatively movable pressing bucks, each comprising a body and press cloth secured thereto, and means for discharging a supply of steam across the face of the upper buck outside of the press cloth thereon.

3. In a garment press, a stationary buck, a movable buck cooperating therewith and provided with a body and press cloth secured thereto, and means carried by the movable buck for discharging a supply of steam along the plane of the movable buck and across its face outside of the press cloth thereon.

4. In a garment press, a stationary buck, a movable buck cooperating therewith, said bucks being each (provided with a body and press cloth secure thereto, and a steam supply conduit located at the edge of one of said bucks and outside-of the press cloth thereon and arranged to discharge a supply of steam across the .face of the buck.

5. In a garment press, stationary and movable pressing bucks, each comprising a body and press cloth secured thereto, and a steam supply conduit located at one edge of one of said bucks and pivotally connected thereto so as to swing toward and from the same.

6. In a garment press, stationary and movable pressing bucks, and a steam supply 130 conduit carried by the movable buck and In testimony whereof I aifix my signaarranged to discharge a supply of steam ture in presence 'of two witnesses as follows. across its face, said conduit being provided WILLIAM E N 'E with communication to a source of steam supply, and a hinge connection between said Witnesses:

conduit and its source and enabling it to S. JENSEN,

swing toward and from the buck. Wm. KRUsE. 

